Chapter 48: Battle Against Lu Changtian

When the pill shot into Qingxuan Daoist's mouth,

two people trembled.

One was Sect Master Wu Duantian, and the other was Chen Huaian, who was staring at his phone in stunned silence.

Just moments ago, the game had prompted him to choose whether to actively hand the normal pill to Qingxuan Daoist. He had selected "Yes."

So, this was what "handing" it to him meant?

So… direct?

Wouldn't this NPC get furious?

Would this trigger a sudden Bad End?

Wu Duantian, on the other hand, was shocked by Chen Huaian's rudeness. As a high-level cultivator, he had actually forced a pill into someone's mouth…

Such a disgrace to decorum!

Absolutely outrageous!

And yet… surprisingly satisfying!

Li Qingran was completely dumbfounded.

A single strand of hair stood up on her forehead as she stared in disbelief.

Qingxuan Daoist's throat moved as he swallowed the Great Recovery Pill.

Just as he was about to explode in anger, the medicinal power of the pill spread through his body. There wasn't a trace of poison in it—clearly, as the mysterious cultivator had said, there was no trickery involved. Xiao Yifeng's current predicament was entirely his own doing.

Qingxuan Daoist's emotions were mixed.

The rage that had clouded his mind began to subside.

He couldn't very well claim that the pill contained poison to twist the truth, could he?

Everyone had seen it with their own eyes. His face was already thoroughly lost.

And with the mysterious cultivator's cultivation level still unknown and hidden in the shadows,

if Qingxuan Daoist were to act out and still lose, he might as well leave the Qingyun Sect for good.

Fine, he'd endure this one last time.

Qingxuan Daoist took a deep breath, his stiff face twitching as he forced out a sentence: "Hmm, this Great Recovery Pill indeed contains no poison… I have failed to teach my disciple properly, and I've made a fool of myself in front of you. However, Xiao Yifeng's talent in alchemy is unparalleled. Given time, if he achieves something, I'll seek your guidance again."

Qingxuan Daoist's words were tactful.

The underlying message was: "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river"—a disciple version.

Chen Huaian understood and sneered at Qingxuan Daoist's veiled threat. "By the time your disciple achieves something, I'll have already turned my Qingran baby into a Sword Immortal through in-game purchases."

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"Master, there's no need to wait that long. Today, I'll seek guidance myself."

A series of footsteps echoed, drawing everyone's attention.

Lu Changtian walked up the steps of the square and stood in front of Li Qingran.

He slowly drew his flying sword from its sheath, his aura gradually rising as his sharp gaze locked onto Li Qingran.

The eldest disciple of Chixiao Peak, at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Among cultivators under thirty, such a level of cultivation was already a testament to his prodigious talent.

The two stood in silence, their gazes locked, the tension palpable.

Lu Changtian's robe billowed as if a strong wind had swept in. His pupils were deep, filled with anger and hatred. His aura climbed to its peak before gradually condensing and compressing downward, finally stabilizing at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

"Junior Sister, I still wish to call you that. But I'm referring to the you of the past, not the detestable person you've become now.

If it weren't for you, Zhang Hanxiao, Yun Zimo, and Xiao Yifeng wouldn't have been injured like this.

Chixiao Peak and Master wouldn't have been humiliated!"

"But I don't wish to call you Senior Brother." Li Qingran drew Su Xian, her sword tip pointing diagonally at Lu Changtian.

The blade reflected a pair of frost-covered eyes: "The day I fell from the arena, Lu Changtian died."

"You hurt Junior Sister Mei Baishuang. This is what you deserve."

"If I had wanted to hurt Mei Baishuang, none of you would have been able to stop me. Back then, I was at Foundation Establishment, and she was at Qi Condensation. How did you think you could stop me? The elders and Sect Master weren't there. With just you and an outer sect elder at Golden Core, did you really think you could stop me?"

"Enough excuses. Let's see if your sword is as sharp as your tongue!"

Lu Changtian lunged forward, his sword energy like snow, cold and piercing.

It was the same move Mei Baishuang often used—Grasping Frost and Snow, a technique from the Formless Sword Art.

This was the same move Mei Baishuang had used on the arena that day.

Back then, Mei Baishuang was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, so Lu Changtian suppressed his cultivation to the same level.

He was proficient in all the techniques of the Formless Sword Art. Whatever Mei Baishuang had used that day, he would use now.

He wanted to see if it was true, as Li Qingran had said,

that if she had wanted to, they wouldn't have been able to stop her!

Li Qingran also sensed Lu Changtian's intentions. She dodged a sweeping sword energy and, with a flicker of her figure, thrust Su Xian toward an empty space.

Lu Changtian, who had transformed into a flurry of snow, appeared in that very spot. His brows furrowed, his gaze sharp. He flipped backward to avoid Su Xian, inwardly surprised at how fast Li Qingran's reactions had become. Feeling a chill above his head, he immediately raised his sword to block. A powerful force struck his blade but vanished in an instant. As he spun to deliver a sneaky kick, Li Qingran had already gracefully retreated three steps.

Before Lu Changtian could retract his leg, she thrust her sword again.

The sword light was like rain, its momentum growing fiercer.

The technique she used was the same one she had used against Mei Baishuang on the arena—the sixth move of the Formless Sword Art, Drenching Rain.

Suppressing his cultivation too much, Lu Changtian's body couldn't keep up with his mind's reactions.

He hadn't expected Li Qingran's sword to be so fast. Even with his deep understanding of the Formless Sword Art, he could only respond hastily.

Drenching Rain could deliver up to forty-nine consecutive thrusts.

In his memories, whenever Li Qingran practiced with him, she had never executed more than thirty thrusts.

As long as he could endure thirty thrusts…

Sss—!

There was no time to think further.

A sharp sword light suddenly appeared in his vision, faster than anything he had ever seen.

The sword light descended from the sky, followed by a blurry figure.

The rain poured down, the sword's momentum like a waterfall.

Within the curtain of sword shadows, a faint, almost imperceptible sword intent began to form.

After gathering momentum through forty-nine thrusts, it erupted with unstoppable force.

Clang!

Lu Changtian's sword flew out of his hand.

He knelt on the ground, his pupils trembling as he stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar young woman before him.

The cold blade of Su Xian was already resting against his neck.

"Why… were you able to execute the final thrust of Drenching Rain?"

"Why?"

Li Qingran's voice seemed to sigh, yet also mock herself.

"Lu Changtian, I've actually known it for a long time. It's just that your impatience never allowed me to reach the final thrust."

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